Protein, lipid and starch components of ten Greek winter bread wheats (four poor quality soft milling varieties, and two soft and four hard milling varieties of good quality) were examined for possible relationships with bread loaf volume and volumes in sedimentation tests for flour quality. High molecular weight glutenin subunit quality scores were lower (4, 4, 6, 6) in the poor quality wheats than in the good quality wheats (6, 6, 6, 6, 8, 10) and were only roughly correlated with the other quality parameters. Gliadin electrophoregram patterns were distinctive for most wheats and might be useful for variety identification, but consistent occurrence of gamma-gliadin 40, associated with weakness, and gamma-gliadin 43.5, associated with strength, was not observed. The ratio non-polar/polar free lipids was highly correlated (P < 0.001) with loaf volumes using both long fermentation and activated (chemical) dough development processes. Starch granule composition, swelling and gelatinisation properties, which were very similar to those of other wheat starches, did not relate to baking quality. A 15-kDa protein on the surface of starch granules associated with endosperm softness was found in the soft wheats.